CHAPTER V

THE TUAREGS

After I got back to France I often came in contact with people who,

as the expression goes, were interested in geographical and colonial

questions, and sometimes I was subjected to a most extraordinary

cross-examination. The following is a true account of a conversation

I once had:—

“So you have really been amongst the Tuaregs? They are savages,

are they not? Are they cannibals?”

I protested that even during the worst famines they had never tasted

a scrap of the flesh of a fellow creature.

“But at least they are cruel? They thieve and plunder, do they

not? They have neither religion nor laws?”

I really do not feel sure of having convinced a single person that

even if the Tuaregs have their faults, that they are not wanting

in good qualities, and that their social condition, different

though it may be from ours, is nevertheless an established one,

that it would be alike humane and politic to turn to account the

undoubtedly good qualities of the race, and to endeavour to develop

those qualities. It would surely be better to extenuate their faults,

and if possible correct them, than to propose—which, by the way,

is of course impossible—the extermination _en masse_ of a great

branch of the human race, occupying a district peculiarly suitable

to it, and where, as a matter of fact, the Tuaregs alone can live.

So-called truisms and ready-made opinions are of course very

convenient. By adopting them one is saved the trouble of thinking

about, still more of going to see, a place for oneself. It is far less

fatiguing, and within the power of everybody. It would certainly be

perfectly safe to wager ten to one that the habit of taking things

for granted is not likely to go out in France in a hurry, or indeed

for that matter anywhere else.

Maybe I shall only in my turn be lifting up my voice in the

desert. But I should like first to try and make those who are willing

to eschew foregone conclusions better acquainted with the truth.

I will avoid exaggeration, and also too much generalization from

isolated experiences. On the one hand, as I have already said, the

Tuaregs have very serious faults—serious for us, because they are

such as to make it difficult for them to accommodate themselves to

European civilization, and as a result we in our turn find influencing

them a very hard task.

Moreover, when I have proved that the Tuaregs have noble qualities,

when I have shown them actuated by elevated motives, those who read

what I say must beware of thinking that all members of the race are

cut on the same pattern.

My idea is, that to begin with we have only to inquire whether

in their natural condition the Tuaregs are or are not inferior

in morality to the other native races, such as the Ammanites of

Cochin-China and the Kabyles of Algeria, with whom by hook or by

crook the French have managed to find a _modus vivendi_?

To a question of that kind I can reply at once, “No, no, the Tuaregs

are certainly not more barbarous than other native races!” and as

proof I can quote our own journey. My readers will have seen how the

Tuaregs behaved to us. I have described how they were won over from

hostility to friendship; and the chapter succeeding this I shall tell

how they protected—even saved us. And what happened to us might,

it seems to me, very well happen to others.

Am I alone in my opinion? Did not Barth owe his very existence to the

active protection of the Tademeket at Timbuktu and the Awellimiden

at Tosaye?

Then, again, Duveyrier travelled for more than a year in the Tuareg

districts, guided and protected by Ikhenuakhen, chief of the

Azgueurs. Not only had he nothing to fear from them, but he was

actually saved from insult even from the Senussis and the tribes

which had risen against the French under the leadership of Mohammed

ben Abdallah.

Our case was therefore no isolated one, and our experience would

no doubt be repeated if it were decided to enter into more intimate

relations with the Tuaregs. We should avoid the unreasonable fear of

finding ourselves amongst traitors and assassins, but at the same

time take such precautions as are needed in the Sudan, where there

is at yet no police force.

There are indeed few if any races who can pride themselves on a more

ancient lineage than the Tuaregs.

Speaking in their own dialect they say, “We are Imochar,

Imuhar, Imazighen,” all which words come from the same Tamschenk

root—_ahar_ meaning free, independent, he who can take, who can

pillage. (We shall see later what the Tuaregs mean by pillage.) In

the Tamschenk dialect the word _ahar_ also signifies lion.

If we go back to the days of antiquity, and read our Herodotus,

we shall find that he speaks of the Mazique tribe as dwelling in

Libya. There are Numidians of Jugurtha and of Maussinissa, and

the last word is translated almost literally into the dialect now

employed, _mess n’esen_ meaning their master, or the master of

the people, whilst the word Mazique is evidently the Greek form,

from which is derived the present name of Imazighen.

If this etymological proof is not sufficient, there exists another,

this one absolutely irrefragable, viz. the Tuareg writing.

Here, there, and everywhere in their country, now cut with a knife

on the trunks of trees, now engraved on the rocks, we meet with

inscriptions in peculiar characters known as the _tifinar_; and

at this very day every Tuareg who has to wait, or who suffers from

_ennui_ for any reason, always wiles away the time, whether on the

banks of the Niger, on the tablelands of Air, or on the summits

of the volcanic Atakor n’Ahaggar, by writing according to the

best of his skill his name and that of his sweetheart on a rock or

on the trunk of some tree, now and then adding a sentence or two,

or in rarer cases a complete poem.

Now the letters employed in these _tifinar_, ancient or modern,

are the same, or very nearly the same, and are therefore identical

with those used in the celebrated Tugga inscription, dating from

the time when Carthage was still a thriving city.

Imochar, of which the singular form is Amacher, is the name by which

the Tuaregs of the Niger districts generally speak of themselves. They

are, say the Arabs, Tuaregs (singular Targui); Surgu, say the Songhay;

Burdane, say the Fulahs.

Now not one of these various appellations comes from a root signifying

anything evil, and a Tuareg would be sure to use one or the other

according to the dialect he speaks in referring to his people. Some

have pretended that Tuareg means abandoned by God, for Arabs are

very fond of explaining everything by puns and plays upon words. Yet

another Arab root from which the word might possibly be derived is

one signifying nomads or wanderers.

[Illustration: TUAREGS.]

Without attempting to throw fresh light, or perhaps to add further

obscurity to the question, I may remark here, that a certain Berber

tribe (we shall see that the Tuaregs are Berbers) calls itself Tarka,

whilst a small section of the Awellimiden is known as Tarkai-Tamut,

whilst the great Berber conqueror of Spain was named Tarik.

It seems most reasonable to suppose that the Arabs gave to the whole

race the name of one of its tribes, probably that with which they

were brought into close contact. Does not the very name of Berber,

characterizing the whole great race, including not only the Tuaregs,

but the Kabyles, the Chambas, and others, itself come from that of

but one fraction—the Berbers or Barbers of Morocco?

During the Roman decadence the Berbers, including the Tuaregs, joined

the flocks of Saint Augustine and his successors as converts, very

half-hearted ones probably, and then after a time of considerable

obscurity in their history came the Mohammedan conquest. Rebellious

at first, the Berbers ended by accepting the religion of Islam,

without feeling any more enthusiasm for the new faith than they had

done for the old. As for the Tuaregs, it is said it was not necessary

to convert them more than fourteen times!

Now it was these tribes who so loathed a foreign yoke, and fled

further and further into the desert before the invaders of their

country, who were the forefathers of the present Imochars.

With regard to the Awellimiden, their very name indicates their

origin; they are the descendants (_uld lemta_) of the Lemta or

Lemtuma, a Sahara tribe which conquered and finally absorbed all

its neighbours of the same stock.

All this may perhaps be called actual history. Now for some of the

legends of which the Awellimiden Tuaregs are so fond. Great lovers of

the marvellous, they account for their origin thus. I will translate

as literally as possible what one of them actually told me:

“I say the ancestors of the Imochars were no other than genii.

“The women of a village called Alkori went one night to dance in

the bush, and there they fell asleep.

“Presently they were surprised by some genii, who, surrounding

them before they were fully awake, embraced them.

“In the morning the women returned to the village.

“When a few moons had risen and died (that is to say, when a few

months had passed), the men of the village saw that the women were

about to become mothers.

“The chief of the village therefore cried, ‘Seize them and put

them to death!’

“But the cadi replied, ‘No, let us wait until the children

are born.’

“So they waited until nine moons had risen and died, when each

woman gave birth to a boy.

“Some men said, ‘Now let us kill the mothers and the children.’

“The cadi replied, ‘No, let us wait till they are older, none

but God can create a soul.’

“So they waited.

“The boys grew, and as time went on fought with the other children

of the village; and they made for themselves weapons of iron, swords

and daggers, such as had hitherto been unknown in the country.

“The chiefs then said, ‘If we do not put them to death these

boys will become our masters. Let us kill them at once, before they

come to their full strength.’

“To which every one replied, ‘Yes, yes! you are right!’

“They then sent a messenger to call the uncles of the young

fellows, and said to them, ‘What we wish is that you should kill

your nephews, and if you do not we will kill you.’

“To this the uncles answered, ‘We have no wish but to comply

with your demand, but we do not know how to put to death our nearest

relations. You take our weapons and do with them what you will.’

“‘Very well,’ said the chief. ‘You had better leave the village

now and return here to-morrow evening.’

“So they left; but one of them managed to warn his sister of what

was in the wind, so that the sons of the genii knew what to expect.

“They therefore ran away, walking all night until the dawn, when

they climbed a mountain.

“In the morning the chief of the village beat the war-drum, and

the horses were saddled.

“The people followed the boys till they came to the mountain they

had climbed, when they lost all traces of them.

“Meanwhile one of the children had said, ‘Shall we have to

fight here?’

“‘Of course we shall,’ replied another; and they were just

about to defy the enemy with shouts, inviting them to the combat,

when a second boy said, ‘It would be better to go first to the

village and fight those that are left behind there.’

“They therefore descended the mountain by the other slope, and

returned to the village. When those who had remained there saw

them coming they were afraid, and cried, ‘Alas! here are the boys

coming back again. They have evidently defeated the party we sent

out against them.’

“One man went out to parley with the children. They took him

prisoner, obtained from him all the information they wanted, and

then they drew their swords and killed him.

“They next advanced upon the village, entered it, and even went

up to the hut of the chief, who was a very old man. He got up and

came to meet them. They shouted, ‘Thou didst mean to kill us and

our mothers with us, but now it is thou who art to die; thy children

and thy children’s children, and all thy nephews are dead. It is

all over.’

“They flung their spears at him, and one of them pierced his heart,

coming out at the other side. Then the boys shouted, ‘Death to

thee, and to thy mother, thou son of a harlot!’ Next they burnt

the village, and killed all the women and children. Only one man

escaped. He ran out to the army and told the troops all that had

happened, asking them, ‘Did you not meet the children?’ ‘No!’

‘Did you not find any trace of them?’ ‘We did; but we lost

their track!’

“‘Well,’ he went on; ‘go to the village, there is not a man

left alive, not even a woman, not even a child. All, all are slain!’

“They put spurs to their horses and galloped back; they reached the

village. The children of the genii came out and began the battle. They

fought from ten o’clock in the morning till sunset. The boys

were victorious, slew all their enemies, and took possession of

the war-drum.

“Of the sons of the genii sixty were dead, but sixty survived,

and became the fathers of the Tuaregs.”

In the fifteenth century they founded a great city, about 281 miles

to the north of Gao, which they called Es Suk, or Tadamekka (now

Tademeket), where they probably led a half-nomad, half-sedentary life,

as do certain tribes or fractions of tribes at the present day at

Rhat, Tintellust, and Sinder, or Gober. At the same period the Askia

Empire of the Songhay negroes was at the zenith of its prosperity,

with Gao, or Garo, as its capital.

An Askia went to attack Es-Suk, and destroyed it. Rather than submit

to the yoke of the conqueror, the Tuaregs abandoned their capital,

and fled to the Ahaggar heights or the plateaux of Air. According

to a legend only one Es Suk escaped, a man named Mohamed ben Eddain,

who founded a new tribe, that of the present Kel es Suk, by giving his

daughters in marriage to Arabs, sheriffs of the tribe of El Abaker,

descendants of the Ansars, or first companions of the Prophet.

This was how it came about that the Kel es Suk supplied the so-called

Tuareg marabouts, and explains the fact that these marabouts have

abandoned many of the characteristic customs of the true Tuaregs in

favour of the strict observance of the Mussulman law.

[Illustration: A GROUP OF TUAREGS.]

Then came the invasion from Morocco, when the Armas, or Romas, as the

soldiers of the Sultan of Fez were called, thanks to their firearms,

destroyed the armies and broke the power of the Songhay; but these

Armas were not numerous enough to hold what they had taken, and in

the course of a few generations they became merged in the negro race,

and completely lost all their warlike qualities.

Protected against invasion by the arid and poverty-stricken nature of

the districts they inhabit, the Tuaregs, on the other hand, inured to

hardship, gradually became stronger, nobler, and more able to hold

their own, developing all the virtues of the true warrior. They now

in their turn conquered their old enemies the Songhay, who, though

aided by the Armas, descended from the old invaders from Morocco,

were powerless to resist them. The negroes were defeated and reduced

to slavery. Since then the Tuaregs have been the dominant race on

the banks of the Niger, from Timbuktu almost as far south as Say.

The history of the Tuaregs has been that of one long series of

struggles between the various tribes, in which the Awellimiden finally

gained the ascendency they still maintain. I have already related how

they resisted the Fulah invasion, and later that of the Toucouleurs.

The taking of Timbuktu by the French resulted in the crushing

of the semi-independent fraction of the Tuareg race known as the

Tenguereguif, or the Kel Temulai, and what I have said about the

Igwadaren, will be remembered. As for the Awellimiden, their power

remained undisturbed, and I do not think I am far wrong in saying,

that should they be threatened they could put 20,000 men, one-quarter

of them mounted, in the field at once.

When we remember the courage of the Tuaregs, and take into account

the immense difficulty French troops would have to contend with in

crossing the districts belonging to the enemy, it is impossible to

help realizing that these warriors are far from being a negligible

quantity, and that the conquest of their land would cost the

invader dear.

And would it be to the interest of France to possess the districts

now inhabited by the Tuaregs? To this query I reply emphatically

and without hesitation, No!

There are in the Sudan two totally different kinds of territory,

which I shall characterize as those fitted for the occupation of

sedentary settlers, and those suitable only to nomadic tribes.

The former are the banks of streams and rivers, such as the French

Sudan between Kayes and Bamako, with the whole reach of the Niger

district up to Timbuktu. In these lands gutta-percha and cotton

can be readily grown. They are inhabited by negroes, and it is

indispensable if we are to trade in security that we should have a

preponderate if not exclusive territorial influence.

In what I call the nomad lands, on the other hand, on the right of

the Senegal, on the Niger beyond Timbuktu (if we except the actual

banks of the river), we shall find that the chief articles of export

are gum and the products of flocks of sheep, which are indeed the

only things the nomad tribes have to offer to our traders.

It is absolutely useless to attempt to impose on these people a yoke

against which they would never cease to rebel, and which, moreover,

they would have the power as well as the will to throw off. It is

much better to give them what are called _enclaves_, or reserves,

such as the Americans assign to the Redskins. Of course we should

always have to guard against pillaging raids from these enclaves;

but I am quite convinced, that when the Tuaregs once realize

that their liberty and their customs will be respected, they will

willingly accept the _modus vivendi_ suggested, especially if they

find that they can sell their produce to our traders to advantage,

thus gaining means for the amelioration of their present condition.

How much better would it be then, instead of condemning the Tuareg

race as a whole, because of certain preconceived prejudices, if we

were to set to work to study them, to gauge their real moral worth,

and to make the best arrangement possible with them for the benefit

of all concerned. Faults, many faults, of course they all have. They

are proud, they are fierce, they rob, and they beg. One of their

peculiarities makes it very difficult to deal with them—they are

very ready to take offence. They are, moreover, in constant dread of

being subjected to servitude, and fear invasion above all things. All

this of course leads them to listen eagerly to the calumnies our

enemies especially the marabouts, are always ready to circulate.

[Illustration: TUAREGS.]

Side by side with all this, however, many noble virtues must also be

placed to the credit of the Tuaregs. Their courage is proverbial,

the defence of a guest is with them as with the Arabs a positive

religion, whilst their steadfastness of character is well known, and

their powers of endurance are absolutely indispensable to their very

existence. Lastly,—and here I know what I say is quite contrary

to the generally-received opinion,—the Tuareg is faithful to his

promises and hates petty theft.

“Never promise more than half what you can perform,” says a

Tuareg proverb, and even in the opinion of their enemies this is no

idle boast. Our own adventures are a striking proof of this.

As for what I have said about thieving, I can testify that all the

time we were amongst the Tuaregs not the very smallest larceny was

committed by them, although all manner of very tempting articles, such

as various stuffs, beads, looking-glasses, knives, etc., were lying

about in our boats, on deck, and in our cabins. Nothing could have

been easier than for our Tuareg visitors to run off with a few odds

and ends, and if I had seen any one take anything I should probably

have said nothing, for fear of a dispute leading to a rupture.

At the sight of these riches of ours, which surpassed anything they

had ever seen before, the eyes of our guests would gleam with desire

for their possession, and they would ask for things, keep on begging

for them without ceasing, but they would not take anything without

leave. I often had hard work to resist their importunity, but, for all

that, not one of them ever appropriated a single object however small.

I said, it is true, a few pages back that the Tuaregs were pillagers,

and the reader may very well ask how they could be pillagers yet not

thieves. We must, however, judge people by their own consciences,

not by the ideas current amongst ourselves. Now to pillage and to

thieve are two essentially different things amongst the Tuaregs.

All nomads are pillagers, and as a matter of fact war with them is

generally simply a pillaging expedition. Migrations are constantly

taking place as a very necessity of their mode of life, and as

a result _casus belli_ as constantly arise. We must, however,

even in such cases as these, do the Tuaregs the justice to add

that they generally first make an appeal to diplomacy. In meetings

known amongst them as _myiad_, the question at issue is discussed,

chiefly by the most influential marabouts, and they have recourse

to arms only if conciliation does not answer.

Even then it is all fair and open warfare. The warriors even challenge

each other as in a tournament to single combat. There are _razzi_

too, no doubt, when the Tuaregs make a descent on the enemy’s

camp and pillage it, carrying off the flocks and herds if possible,

and by thus depriving them of the means of subsistence, compelling

them to sue for peace.

There is little foundation for the charge brought against the Tuaregs

of pillaging caravans, they respect them when the right of passage

has been paid for. This payment is a very just one, guaranteeing the

protection of the tribe against the gentlemen of the road, for in

the Sudan, as in Italy, there are brigands, but they are not Tuaregs.

On the other hand, if traders, thinking themselves strong enough

to force a passage, refuse to pay the tribute demanded, the caravan

becomes the lawful prize of any one who chooses to attack it.

Is this very different to what happens amongst Europeans? Suppose,

for instance, that we refuse to pay custom and _octroi_ dues, the

officials will seize the contraband goods without hesitation, and we

shall have to pay the legal fine, or even, perhaps, go to prison, and

who will think us unfairly treated? Although they have no officers in

uniform in their service, the Tuaregs are quite within their rights

in demanding payment for right of way. But pillage merchandise when

that payment has been made they never do. Did they do so, all trade

would be simply impossible in the Sudan, and when they are reproached

on the subject they reply—“_Our irezz aodem akus wa der’itett_

(we do not break the bowl from which we eat).”

When he has to do with Christians, infidels, or, as he calls them,

Kaffirs, the Tuareg is perhaps not quite so jealous of his promises

and of keeping faith exactly; but this is really chiefly the fault of

the marabouts, who tell them that they are not bound where infidels

are concerned, and quote passages taken, or said to be taken, from

the Koran to prove it.

Then, again, there is something spirited and noble about pillaging,

for it often means to expose oneself to danger, and real courage

is needed for that. It is not so very long since our ancestors went

to do much the same thing in Sicily and in Palestine, and there was

not much more excuse for them than for the Tuaregs.

Thieving and petty larceny are very different from pillaging, and

of them the Tuareg has perhaps a greater horror than we Europeans.

A careful study of Tuareg society will reveal a very strong

resemblance between it and that of Europe in the Middle Ages. Truth

to tell, except that he has no strong isolated castles, a Tuareg

surrounded by his tribe, or a fraction of that tribe, engaged in one

long struggle to defend himself, or absorbed in attacking some chief,

brutal and violent, but chivalrous, respecting the honour of women,

and curbing his wild passions where they are concerned, his reverence

for them inspiring his most courageous efforts, pillaging the traders

who will not submit to the prescribed tribute, but protecting those

who have paid their toll, has a soul not so very different, after

all, from that of the Castellan de Coucy of the twelfth century,

or of the heroes he celebrates in his poems.

As was the population in Europe in mediæval times, the Tuaregs

are divided into two very distinct classes, the Ihaggaren and the

_imrads_, corresponding to the old feudal chiefs and vassals.

What originally caused this broad line of demarcation between the

two? Many different things, no doubt. Certain conquered tribes

became the _imrads_ of those who had defeated them. Or again, some

tribes may have submitted for the sake of being allowed to settle

peacefully down on lands belonging to Ihaggaren. Whatever may have

been the reason, however, as time went on the Ihaggaren[6] became

the owners of flocks and herds, whilst the _imrads_ never possessed

any property of their own, but looked after that of their masters.

The former had to fight and to protect their _imrads_, ownership of

property giving them the right to demand tribute; the latter could

originally only hold their fiefs at the will of their suzerains,

but after many generations had passed away their tenure became so

established a thing that rent was all which could be demanded. At

the present day it sometimes happens that the _imrads_ are richer,

better dressed, and even more influential than the Ihaggarens.

When a whole tribe is seriously threatened, and the nobles are not

sufficiently strong to defend themselves, the tenants are armed just

as they used to be in olden times in Europe, and these tenants fight

marvellously well. At the same time, except in such emergencies,

it is the business of the Ihaggarens to defend the _imrads_.

In the service of the _imrads_ are a class of negro slaves known

as the Belle or Bellates, who have as a rule been attached to the

same family for many generations. The attachment these slaves have

for their Tuareg masters is really wonderful, and a positive proof

that they are well treated by them. In the struggle which took place

round about Timbuktu between the French and the various tribes who

resisted the foreign occupation, Bellates were often taken prisoners,

but however kind our treatment of them, in spite of promises of

complete liberty on the one condition that they would remain with us,

we were not able to keep a single one. They all ran away to rejoin

their old masters. In warlike expeditions they form a very useful

supplement to the Tuareg infantry, and they are quite as brave as

are the free soldiers.

One peculiar fact which speaks well for the Tuareg character is,

that though these warriors own hereditary slaves they never sell

or buy them. Before the French arrived at Timbuktu that town was

the centre of the slave trade, whence captives were sent to Tripoli

on the one hand and to Morocco on the other. The convoys with the

melancholy processions of slaves were generally under the leadership

of traders from Mosi, who brought the unhappy captives to the town

and sold them to merchants from Morocco or Tuat.

We have already seen, and we shall have again occasion to remark, that

the whole negro population of the Niger districts is in a similar

state of servitude with regard to the Tuaregs, a fact which will

explain how it is that no Songhay or Arma would dream of disputing

the orders of the chiefs, or offering the very slightest resistance

to their demands.

There would therefore be absolutely nothing to prevent a Tuareg who

should chance to be in want of money or of clothes to go and seize

one or more of the Gabibi, as the negroes of the villages are called,

and sell him or them for slaves at Timbuktu. In fact, it would be

quite as simple a matter as to choose an ox out of his own herds and

send it to market. Yet never has a Tuareg been known to do such a

thing. I have made sure of this by cross-questioning many negroes,

and their answers have always been the same.

At the very bottom rung of the social ladder we find the negroes of

the riverside districts, the Songhay and the Armas. They cultivate

millet, rice, and tobacco. When their masters are at daggers

drawn with each other, as was the case when we were amongst the

Igwadaren, they have a good deal to complain of, for they are,

as it were, between two fires, and their position is anything but

enviable. Amongst the Awellimiden, however, their condition seems to

be much happier, and when they have once paid their dues they are

left in peace, great chiefs such as Madidu protecting them against

the exactions of the less powerful Tuaregs.

I confess I do not feel any very special pity for them. They are

quite as numerous as the Tuaregs, quite as well armed, and all they

need to recover their independence is a little courage. If, moreover,

they cared to study the history of the past, they would not fail to

remark that their Songhay ancestors brought their doom upon them

when they destroyed Es Suk, and forced the Tuaregs to lead their

present wandering life.

As for the project of pressing the negroes into the service for

the suppression of the Tuaregs, it is but a Utopian idea, and that

a very dangerous one, for the Songhay race is too debased by its

three centuries of servitude to have any real stamina left.

I need scarcely point out the great mistake implied in the suggestion:

We ought to favour the black at the expense of the Tuaregs, because

the former are producers as tillers of the soil, and the latter are

useless idlers, for the Tuareg is as hard a worker as the negro; he

works in a different direction, that is all—breeding flocks and

herds instead of growing cereals. When the means of transport are

sufficient for it to be easy to get to and from Timbuktu, it will be

the Tuareg, whose camels will carry the gum harvest into the town,

it will be he who will sell skins and wool; in fact, he will turn

out to be the greater producer of the two races after all.

The Tuaregs have been accused of being cruel, but this is another

grave error. They alone perhaps of all African races do not kill their

prisoners after a battle. One must have been present at the taking

of a village by negroes to realize the awful butchery with which

the victory ends. Everybody not fit to be sold as a slave is put to

the sword. The throats of the old men are cut, and little children

too young to walk have their heads smashed against stones. Tuaregs,

on the other hand, are quite incapable of such atrocities. When

we passed Sinder, Boker Wandieïdu, chief of the Logamaten, had

more than two hundred Toucouleur prisoners in his camp, who had

been taken in war two years before, and he was feeding and looking

after them all. After the fatal battle with the Tacubaos, in which

Colonel Bonnier was killed, the two officers who alone escaped

from the scene of the combat, Captains Regard and Nigotte, fled in

different directions. Nigotte reached Timbuktu, and was saved, but

Regard went westwards, and was taken prisoner by the negroes of the

Dongoi villages, who took him to the Tenguereguif Tuaregs. In spite,

however, of the fact that the excitement of the battle had scarcely

subsided, these Tuaregs would not themselves slay the unfortunate

Frenchman. “Do with him what you will,” they said; and the

negroes killed him.

Moreover, it has been said that the Tuaregs are fanatics, but I

have never seen them prostrate themselves or fast. It is, however,

unfortunately quite true that the marabouts exercise a great

influence over them; but it is the kind of ascendency that clever

people always obtain over big children, such as the Tuaregs are, and

such as sorcerers get over the superstitious. “You are Christians,

and we ought not to have anything to do with infidels,” Yunes

said to us at Tosaye. A good excuse, and one that he could not help

laughing at himself. Yunes, I am glad to say, never really followed

the precepts of Islam any more than did any of his fellow-countrymen.

How does it come about that, left to themselves, with scarcely

any contact with more advanced civilizations, constantly exposed

to the malevolent influence of Mahommedanism, and by their very

nature peculiarly susceptible to the temptations which appeal to the

violently disposed, the Tuaregs have yet managed to keep their high

moral character. Once more we find a parallel for their position in

the Middle Ages. It is the reverence they feel for women, to whose

gentler influence they yield, which has been their salvation. Just

as the lady of the feudal chief, brutal and hot-tempered, coarse and

savage though he often was, knew how to soothe his worst passions,

and to inspire him with an ambition to excel in those noble tasks

of which she herself was to be the reward, so does the Tuareg woman

in her tent, chanting praises of the mighty deeds of the lord of her

heart, rouse in that lord all chivalrous instincts, and inspire him

with a love for all that is best and highest in life on earth.

The Tuareg—and here he differs essentially from all Mahommedans—

takes only one wife, but she is literally his better half. Moreover,

a woman is free to choose her own husband. During our stay at Say,

we were told that Reichala, daughter of Madidu, was about to marry

the son of El-Yacin, one of the chiefs of the most powerful tribe

of the Confederation. I sent some presents on this joyful occasion.

A month later an envoy from the chief of the Awellimiden told us

that the young lady, in spite of all her parents could do, had

refused her _fiance_. Her will was respected, and even the Amenokal

himself would not have forced her to comply.

Her future husband once chosen, a Tuareg girl has perfect liberty to

see him when she likes, and will sometimes travel on her camel more

than fifty miles to pay him a visit. The Tuaregs themselves say that

no bad results ensue; but there are three words for bastard in the

Tamschek language, and if it be true that the abundance of expressions

for a thing in any tongue proves the prevalence of that thing, we

shall know what to think. However, when a Tuareg woman is married,

however free and easy she may have been beforehand, she is a model

of discreet behaviour. The Tuaregs do not brook any tampering with

their honour, and a deceived husband will never hesitate to wash

out his shame in blood.

[Illustration: A TUAREG WOMAN.]

Still the Tuareg woman is allowed to have friends of the opposite

sex, and, as in the days of the Troubadours, her praises are sung

in many a charming rondeau. These male friends, who correspond to

the Italian _cicisbeos_, draw their swords in honour of the fair

lady of their choice, and shout her name as a war-cry as they

fling themselves upon the foe in the clash of combat. The woman,

in her turn, celebrates the exploits of her _cicisbeo_ in verse,

and she adorns his leather shield and the scabbard of his sword

with the work of her hands. All, however, ends there, and we are

irresistibly reminded of Petrarch’s songs in honour of his Laura

when she was a stout, middle-aged woman, the mother of seven children.

Alas! we must tell the whole truth, and this reference to Petrarch

brings me back to my subject: Tuareg women in general. What a pity

that after all I have said about their lofty spirit, their manners,

and the good influence they exercise, I am obliged to own that I

cannot admire their figure, which resembles that of a Durham cow ready

for a prize show, or of a moulting goose more than anything else.

Their faces are pleasing, sometimes even very pretty. Delicate

features, big eyes full of expression, and very long black hair

parted in the middle and plaited together at the back of the head,

give them a charming appearance, but they have absolutely no figures,

they are just one mass of fat; their arms are like the jellies exposed

for sale in pork-butchers’ shops, and the less said about the rest

of their bodies the better.

In striking contrast to their wives, Tuareg warriors are generally

very lean, and their figures are well knit. Their limbs are very

finely moulded, and they walk with a slow dignity all their own,

raising their feet rather high from the ground much as an ostrich

does, a mode of progression which is probably the reason for their

habit of leaning on their spears as they advance.

The most striking peculiarity of the Tuareg costume is the veil,

called the _litham_ in Arabic, and the tagelmust in Tamschek, which

covers the face, leaving only the eyes visible. It consists of a band

of stuff, generally black, which goes round the head like a turban

to begin with, and then passes over the mouth and nose, coming round

a third time across the forehead, and looking rather like a visor.

The tribe to which a Tuareg belongs is shown by his tagelmust. A

well-bred Amacher never takes it off, not even to eat or sleep, and

the negroes of the riverside have adopted the custom in imitation

of their masters. Their veils are, however, generally white, as are

also those of Tuaregs who are not rich enough to buy the lustrous

black stuffs from Haussa, used by the well-to-do.

The veil seems to have been originally adopted as part of the Tuareg

costume on hygienic grounds, for in the long wanderings of the

tribes amongst the sand of the deserts it protects the respiratory

organs. By degrees, however, this tagelmust grew to be considered

a sign of the modesty of the wearer, and to show the face became a

breach of etiquette.

Strange to say, the women do not hide their faces, a very noteworthy

difference this between Mahommedans, whose females are always veiled,

and Tuaregs, amongst whom it is the men who thus disguise their

features. To make up for this, however, if a Tuareg woman wishes

to show great respect to any one she is talking to, she covers her

mouth with a piece of her robe.

The Tuaregs themselves tell the following legend—they have one

for every occasion—to explain this peculiarity of their costume.

“In olden times women used to keep their faces veiled as do the

Mahommedans, whilst men left their faces uncovered; but one day the

enemy surprised a camp of our ancestors. The attack was so sudden and

so utterly unexpected that the Tuaregs were seized with panic and

fled, leaving behind them their families and their property. They

flung down their arms, making no effort to defend themselves, but

trusting for escape entirely to the fleetness of their legs.

[Illustration: A TUAREG IN HIS NATIONAL COSTUME.]

“The women, however, picked up the swords, the spears, and the

daggers, with which they faced the enemy and drove them off.

“From that day, to show their admiration for the conduct of their

wives, and their shame for their own cowardice, the men wore the

veil and the women left their features exposed to view.”

In addition to the veil the Tuaregs wear a tunic of lustrous black

cotton, which falls nearly to the ankles, and in the front of which

is a huge pocket.

The Tuareg who wishes to be very “chic,” to use the last slang

expression in vogue in France and England, has this pocket made of

red material; but whatever the colour it is always of huge size. It

is difficult to imagine what quantities of things that pocket will

hold. In it a Tuareg can stow away yards upon yards of stuff, any

amount of beads, whole coverlets, etc., etc.; and to see him dispose

of everything in such a limited space, reminds one of the conjurors

who put a cannon ball, a cage full of birds, and a bowl with gold

fish all into a single nut.

Long wide trousers envelope the lower part of the body, and are

drawn in at the waist with running strings, whilst sandals made of

ox or antelope hide protect the feet from the burning heat of the

sun-parched sand.

The costume is completed by quantities of little leather sachets,

containing amulets, hung round the neck on thin cords. These amulets

protect their wearer from all evil influences, and secure to him

all the good things his heart desires.

The weapons of a Tuareg are all what the French call _armes blanches_,

that is to say, swords, spears, daggers, etc., and it is rare indeed

for any of them to own firearms. Even if they have them they will

not use them unless they are positively driven to do so. They have

a kind of superstitious dread, and at the same time a contempt for

guns. “They are not weapons worthy of a man,” say these Tuaregs,

who admit that their women excel them in courage.

The national weapon _par excellence_ is the so-called _tellak_

or short dagger, the sheath of which is fastened to the left wrist

with a leather armlet. The hilt of this _tellak_ is of the shape

of a cross, and the wearer is not at all inconvenienced by wearing

it. He generally rests his hand on the hilt when he is not using

the weapon. If he is threatened with any danger, the dagger is drawn

from the sheath with the right hand in an instant.

The spear or lance is generally made entirely of iron, except for

certain copper ornaments; a few, however, have wooden handles,

though the actual weapon is of metal. The Ihaggaren alone have the

right of wearing the iron spear, and the so-called _takuba_ or sword

worn at the side, suspended on a cotton or silk cord.

According to circumstances, the spear is used as a missile or as a

lance. Mounted Tuaregs use it much as European lancers do, but when

they are fighting on foot, they fling it with marvellous skill, and

will rarely miss an enemy at a distance as great as fifty feet. The

red and green leather shields of the Tuaregs are often decorated with

considerable taste, and we must not forget to mention the _ahabeg_,

which is alike a weapon and an ornament, consisting of a circlet of

stone worn on the left arm a little above the wrist.

The horses of the Tuaregs are very ugly and small but strong. The

saddles in use are of wood covered over with leather, and a thick

coverlet of felt protects the hinder quarters of the steed. The bits

are of very well forged iron, the bridle is of plaited leather;

the stirrups of copper are very small, no bigger than a child’s

bracelet, and the horseman only rests his big toe in them.

But the animal which takes first rank, whether for riding or for

carrying bales of merchandise, the equipment of camps, meat, milk,

etc., is the camel.

The Tamschek language has many names for this useful animal, a

different one being used for it according to its age and capacity. The

camel used as a beast of burden is a strongly-built and heavy-looking

animal, known as an _amnis_, whilst the _areggan_ or saddle camel,

used for riding, is much lighter, has slenderer limbs, and is far

more spirited. For guiding the _amnis_ or the _areggan_ a bridle

is used, passing through a ring which was fixed in the nose of the

animal at a very early age.

The camel is the chief wealth of a Tuareg. “How many camels has

your father?” I was asked, and it was very difficult to convince

my questioner that this useful animal would be of no good to us

in France.

The costume of Tuareg women is simpler than that of their husbands,

and consists of a long piece of stuff, which is rolled round and

round the body, a pair of cotton drawers, and a _fariuel_, or shawl,

which they wear over their heads, and drape about their figures as

gracefully as their extreme stoutness will admit.

Copper ornaments are much valued and are very rare. As a general

rule the women and men both like any sort of trinket which can be

hung round the neck; an old sardine tin is a very suitable present

for an admirer to give to a Tuareg lady. A Tuareg’s house is his

tent. The very poor, however, live in straw huts called _ehan_.

The tent or _ehakit_ is made of skins upheld by a central stake;

the edges of the skins are very irregular, and are fastened with

the aid of tags to pegs stuck in the ground.

During the night the tent is closed, and the owner is shut up within

it, but in the daytime it is left open on the side opposite the sun;

blinds made of very thin laths of wood, kept together with strips

of leather, plaited in and out, shield those in the tent from the

heat and glare of the rays reflected from the burning sands.

An encampment of tents is called an _amezzar_, a group of camps,

generally occupied by one tribe, is a _tausi_, and over such an

agglomeration the chief or _amrar_ has full authority.

[Illustration: TUAREGS.]

The imrad camps are surrounded by palisades or _afaradj_, between

which and the tents occupying the centre of the enclosure the flocks

and herds are sheltered at night and protected from the lions,

which still prowl in the vicinity.

The Ihaggaren seldom have their flocks and herds with them, but

when they have, certain of the imrads under them live in the camp

and look after the animals.

Within the tent the woman is mistress. It is her business to look

after and order about the slaves. She milks the cows and she does the

cooking. But amongst the more important tribes the house, or rather

tent-keeping cares do not occupy the whole of the day, and the nights

are so warm that all sensible Tuaregs sit up till midnight at least.

Well, how does the woman employ her spare time? She does her leather

work very much as European ladies do their embroidery, or she sings

to the accompaniment of an _amzad_, or violin with but one string. She

even composes verses.

Yes, she makes verses! Will not this arouse the interest of all

the blue-stockings of Europe? Surely when their occupations are

so much alike their sympathies will go out to their sisters in the

distant desert.

I can even add that Tuareg verses will always scan, and that they

all rhyme. Surely this is a good deal more than can be said of the

effusions of most female scribblers!

The men too write poetry sometimes. I have not time or space to give

specimens of the productions of these writers of the Niger districts;

but I cannot refrain from quoting two examples given by Commandant

Hanotaux in his Tamschek grammar, which were written by Tuaregs of

the north.

The first is a madrigal, composed and transcribed in the album of

a young lady of Algiers by Bedda of Ida. It must be observed that

Bedda was the first Tuareg to visit Algeria.

I speak; and, Angelina, thine the name!

Love in my heart for thee can never die.

What son of Adam may endure the flame

That burns within that dark, alluring eye?

For love of thee, enslavèd by thy glance,

I e’en would journey forth afar to France!

Who holds thee, Angelina, in his arms,

May dream secure, the fairest vision thou!

We thought no human limbs the lissom charm

Of fleet gazelles could e’er surpass, but now,

Since we have seen thy perfect form and face,

We know that we were wrong; thou hast _all_ grace!

If thou shouldst come to us, come to our land,

Each man among us would go forth to thee

And sue thy favour; and should one demand

What price I’d pay could I but purchase thee,

I ween, for such possession I would give, indeed,

Six thousand golden pieces, or my steed![7]

Are not the sentiments expressed in this madrigal wonderfully gallant

for a so-called savage?

The second piece of poetry is really a satire, the daughter of Abukias

apostrophized in it having been compelled to repulse the too ardent

advances of an admirer, who could not forgive her scorn.

Daughter of Aboukias! thou hast come,

And the sun was hot when thou didst say “good-day”;

Time was, when but to hear thy words repeated

Filled me with mad desire to be with thee,

For thou wast in mine eyes a _houri_.

But now we know thy nature through and through.

Rash are thy words—reserve unknown to thee;

And in thy treachery thou wilt die.

Wert thou of noble race, how would thy good blood show?

By silence golden—not by reckless blame of other women,

For thou wouldst know thyself!

Yet one more word before I close,

A word which many others will confirm;

Aye, others married ere thy birth,

Whose steps have led them far away to lands unknown to thee,

And towns, whose very names thou hast not heard.

Young men there are, thou fain wouldst know,

Owners of herds and camels which will ne’er be thine,

To saddle in war or to milk when at peace.

But as for thy lover, the man thou didst scorn,

What matter to us though thou left him forlorn?

No translation could really give any idea of the vigorous ring of

these verses in the original Tamschek. They are alike forcible and

rhythmic without any of that undue use of gutturals for which the

Tuaregs blame the Arabs, calling their language in derision the

_Takhamkhamen_.

When Tuareg women receive, or, as we should say, are “at home to

their friends,” they recite such verses as those quoted above,

or tell long stories which last for several meetings. The men gather

about them wearing their best clothes, and vieing with each other in

their efforts to appear to advantage. The worthy deeds of those who

acquitted themselves well in recent conflicts are recounted, whilst

the cowards (who take care not to put in an appearance) are held up to

public scorn. It will readily be understood that the Tuareg customs,

which differ in so marked a degree from those of the Mahommedans,

give a great influence to the female sex, and place a woman far

above her admirers, who often sue in vain for notice from her.

As long as there is plenty of pasturage for the flocks and herds the

days pass peacefully by, as we have described, in the Tuareg camp,

but directly grass becomes scarce the tents must be struck, and the

tribe moves on to better feeding-grounds.

When the word to break up the temporary home has been given all is

bustle and animation, the _amezzar_ resembling some great beehive. The

camels which are to carry the loads are assembled, the tents go down

as if by magic, some of the imrads rapidly roll them up, and pack

them on the backs of the patient beasts, whilst others stow away

the modest furniture and household utensils.

Meanwhile the young Ihaggaren have gone forward to choose the spot

for the new camp. Presently they return, and place themselves at

the head of the party, acting alike as guides and protectors to it.

Behind them come the women, chattering together in the quaint,

cradle-like saddles they occupy on the fleeter camels, whilst the

older men gather round the _amrar_, and march solemnly on with him.

Last of all, led by the slaves, come the pack-saddle animals,

guarded by the warriors, who protect them from pillage, of which

there is always more or less danger in the desert.

The site of the new encampment reached, tents and furniture are

unladed, and all is arranged as it was before. The same kind of

life as that already described begins again, and goes on without

interruption for weeks or even for months, according to the fertility

of the district.

Of course all this refers only to times of peace, but amongst the

Ihaggaren constantly, and amongst the imrads more rarely, but still

pretty often, war, with its many complications, breaks out and

upsets everything.

Amongst nomad tribes constant struggle with others is all but a

necessity of existence. In certain dry seasons pasturage is alike

meagre and innutritious, but the flocks and herds must have food,

hence perpetual disputes and quarrels, in which the Amenokal, when

there is one, often intervenes to prevent bloodshed if the would-be

belligerents are of the same confederation.

If, however, there is no central authority to preserve order the

quarrel spreads and becomes general. This was the original cause

of the feud between the Awellimiden and the Hoggars of the north,

as well as with the Kel Gheres on the west, a feud which has been

going on uninterruptedly from time immemorial.

In time of war the _imrad_ or worker suffers but little. Everything

is, in fact, so settled by tradition amongst the Tuaregs that even

a battle is more like a set of quadrilles than anything else.

To begin with, there is generally a palaver, and when all attempts

to patch up the quarrel have failed resort is had to arms. The

disputants separate, having fixed a time for their meeting, and

on the day and at the place agreed upon the two armies or _attabu_

are drawn up as in a mediæval tournament.

The forces advance in closely serried battalions. Sometimes the

Tuareg fights on horseback, but as a rule he prefers to meet his

foe on foot. The combatants hurl defiance at each other and rush

shouting to the fray. Spears are flung at a distance of some fifty

feet, but they are pretty well always caught on the shields of those

at whom they are hurled.

Meanwhile the confusion rapidly increases; the chiefs now begin to

challenge each other to single combat, and it is no unusual thing for

the two armies to cease hostilities with one accord to watch the issue

of the struggle between the leaders. Spears, no longer of any use, are

flung aside, the dagger and sword taking their place, and gleaming in

the sunshine as they are raised against the foe. Blood begins to flow

copiously on either side. Here two warriors are holding each other at

bay at arms’ length, each trying to pierce his adversary’s heart

with his sword; there two others are locked in a murderous embrace,

stabbing at each other with their daggers, or trying to crack each

other’s skulls with the stone amulet alluded to above.

[Illustration: TUAREG HORSEMAN.]

At last one side wavers, inferior in strength or in numbers to

the other. The warriors begin to flee, and the victors shout,

“_Ia! ia! Our adellin rour’ onen imzaden!_” (“Ah! ah! There

will be no violins for you!”) And this sarcasm, which means

that their wives will be angry and scorn them, often so stings the

fugitives that they rally and go back to the struggle, eager to win

the praises of their women on their return to their tents.

In these battles life is taken without pity or remorse; but, as I have

already said, when the victory is won the prisoners are spared. I have

even been told by several very trustworthy authorities, that when

peace is made on the request of one side or the other, the victors

will entirely reclothe the prisoners taken before sending them home.

War, however, amongst the Tuaregs generally takes the form of raids,

such as those in vogue with the Arabs.

Dangerous as are these raids, they offer the advantage of taking

the enemy by surprise, and meeting him face to face instead of being

attacked in the rear. Moreover, the profit if victorious is immediate,

and the booty often considerable.

There is plenty of scope in them too for individual courage and

for skill in stratagem, promptitude in attack, and for showing off

what they greatly admire, the military virtues of endurance under

privation, knowledge of the country to be traversed, and so on.

Here I must just add, by way of parenthesis, that one of the chief

charges brought against the Tuaregs, that of being treacherous, is

the result of this habit of theirs of falling unawares upon their

foe. I really cannot blame them, however, for are not surprises and

night attacks amongst the tactics of European armies, and does any

one dream of attaching dishonour to them?

Military regulations deal with them quite openly, only stipulating

that they should not be attempted except with very well-disciplined

troops, who are thoroughly in hand. All the more honour then to the

Tuaregs that this is their usual way of going to work.

[Illustration: MOORS AND TUAREGS.]

What I may call these hunting expeditions are greatly facilitated,

if not altogether necessitated, by the very nature of a nomad

life. The preparations are made with the greatest secrecy, and only

the sturdiest walkers and the best horsemen are allowed to take part

in them. The party, never very large, numbering at the most a hundred,

if the way is long as it often is, starts preceded by guides, who lead

the _razzia_ by the least frequented route. The most important point

to be kept in view is the position of the various wells by the way,

for on a knowledge of this essential detail success chiefly depends.

Gliding silently between the encampments of the enemy on the

frontiers, the Tuaregs in which are always on the alert, for their

exposed situation makes them watchful, the marauding expedition

flings itself suddenly upon the _amezzar_ or tribe chosen. The

greatest skill is needed to take the enemy unawares, and sometimes

all the precautions are in vain, for those attacked have had warning

beforehand, but not in time to send couriers out to summon their

friends to their aid.

The men then all take to flight, but the women remain, for though the

men who resist are slain, no Tuareg would stain his hands with the

blood of a defenceless woman; the flocks and herds with the camels

are hastily hidden in the bush, but the assailants, or _imihagen_

as they are called, know how to find and collect them.

The next thing to do is to carry off the booty before those pillaged

or the _imihagen_ come back to avenge themselves, for they meanwhile

have not been inactive, but by means of messengers, or by fires lit on

the tops of the dunes, have let their relations know of their need. A

column is quickly formed, and starts in pursuit of the raiders.

It is their turn now to have to flee for their lives. The big camels

used as beasts of burden and the flocks and herds hamper their

march. If they do not get a good start they are often overtaken,

and being far less numerous than those they have robbed they have

to pay dearly for their audacity.

The pursuing column now shows considerable skill in getting ahead

of the raiders, and awaiting them at some well or pond which they

must pass, they there in their turn fall suddenly upon the enemy.

The marauders are by this time weary, whilst the robbed are fresh

and in first-rate positions. The robbers are dying of thirst; their

enemies have drank their fill at their ease.

One such _razzia_ succeeds another, until at last one party to

the quarrel is worn out and sues for peace, a marabout acting

as intermediary. Innumerable palavers now take place, the Tuareg

warriors holding forth to the assembled crowds in long speeches,

for they are as anxious to show off their eloquence as they are

jealous of their reputation for military skill. A truce is finally

patched up, and though it never lasts long it serves as an excuse

for a feast, in which, by the way, the Tuaregs, who are naturally

frugal and abstemious, rarely indulge.

Children are very kindly treated in Tuareg camps. Except to compel the

girls to empty the bowls of the curdled milk, the drinking of which

makes them fat, they are never beaten. As soon as they can stand alone

the little boys are taught to fling the spear, small weapons suited

to their size being specially made for them. The father looks after

the martial education of his sons, whilst the mother teaches the

girls to work leather, to sing, and to read the written characters

I have already described. This is how it comes about that women can

generally decipher inscriptions more readily than men.

A strange custom prevails with regard to inheritance, not only

amongst the Tuaregs but in other African tribes, and that is, the

nephew is the heir of the uncle, not the son of the father. The child

of an _imrad_ woman is a serf, and the son of a slave is a slave no

matter whether the father is a free man or not. “It is the womb

which gives to the child its complexion,” say the Tuaregs. It is

the law of Beni-Omia.

The great Awellimiden tribes, however, repudiate this custom, saying

that it reflects unfairly upon the virtue of their women. “One is

always sure to be the son of one’s mother,” they say, “but not

of one’s father. That is why a race less noble than our own have

adopted the custom of inheritance from uncle to nephew. They are

sure that in the veins of the latter flows the blood of the former.”

The rest of the Tuaregs, however, who have always been noted for

their gallantry, date the origin of the so-called Beni-Omia law from

Gheres, the father of the Kel Gheres.

Gheres, they say, had a wife named Fatimata Azzer’a, and a sister

called Gherinecha. Each of them had a son; the child of the former

was called Ituei, that of the latter, R’isa.

Now Gheres, feeling old age gaining on him, wished to prove his

wife. He pretended he was ill, and went to consult an old sorcerer who

dwelt in a hut on a lofty dune, from which he never came down into

the plains. There was no well there, and the sorcerer had neither

sheep nor oxen nor camels, none knew what he drank or what he ate.

On his return to his camp after his visit to the sorcerer, Gheres

sent for his wife and said to her—“Woman, thou alone canst cure

me. My days are numbered unless I can anoint my body with magic

ointment made from the brains of a child. Give me thy son.”

“My son is mine,” replied Fatimata; “I have had the trouble

of bearing and rearing him. It is true I love thee next to him,

but even if thy life depend on it, I will not have him die.”

The chief then sent for Gherinecha and made the same demand of her

as he had of his wife.

“After thee, my brother,” she said, “I love R’isa best. But

if God inflicts on me the anguish of choosing between thee and him,

I choose. Take thou the child, do as the sorcerer bids thee, and

may Allah protect thee.”

So Gheres hid his nephew in the bush, killed a kid, took its brains,

rubbed his body with them and returned to his camp, where he summoned

his relations and subjects to appear before him. He then told the

story of what he pretended had happened, and everybody admired

the devotion of Gherinecha. Then he called for the child—who

had been brought in unperceived under the cloak of a slave—and

presented him to the assembled crowds, saying, “Behold my heir

and my successor. As my sister loves me more than my wife does, it

is but just that after my death my sister’s son should inherit my

wealth and my rights.”

The Ben-Omia law has at least had the good result where it is enforced

of preserving the purity of the Tuareg blood, for the son of a black

slave woman would be and remain a slave all his life, no matter how

great the power or how high the lineage of his father.

Amongst the Awellimiden, on the other hand, that is to say, amongst

the three chief tribes, the Kel Kumeden, the Kel Ahara, and the

Kel Tedjiuane, which dominate the rest of the Confederation, this

system has not been observed, with the result that the complexions

of the Awellimiden have been notably darkened by the admixture of

negro blood.

The Tuaregs are extremely superstitious, and I have already alluded

to the number of charms with which they deck themselves.

The Demons or _Alchinen_ play a great part amongst them, and are

looked upon as almost human. They are supposed to inhabit the

mountains, camping on them, and living a life very much like that

of the Tuareg tribes themselves. They have their own quarrels,

their own wars, and they too make raids on each other. They are,

however, endowed with the power of becoming invisible, and they

come unseen to take and to drink the milk of the cows belonging

to the Tuaregs. “Beware,” say the Tuaregs, “when you are out

at night that you do not run against an _alchin_ (the singular of

_alchinen_). You will see nothing at the time, but the next morning

when you wake you will find that your foot is sore and you cannot

walk. You have trodden on the foot of a demon.”

[Illustration: A YOUNG TUAREG.]

In spite of the undoubted courage of the Tuaregs, they hate the idea

of death. They do not say of any one who has died, “He is dead,”

but _Aba_, he has disappeared. It is a sign of very bad breeding to

speak of a dead relative or even to pronounce his name. He must be

alluded to only as _mandam_, or such an one. None but the descendants

of an illustrious chief or the sons of an Amenokal tolerate any

allusion to their ancestors, in which case pride is stronger than

superstition.

We came in contact on our journey with the two great Confederations

of the Igwadaren and the Awellimiden; the former, as we have seen,

are a prey to anarchy and they rob traders, but their importance is

almost _nil_.

It is very different with the Awellimiden. I do not of course

deny that certain tribes are dangerous to travellers; for frequent

revolts against the central authority occur, and during our stay at

Say the Cheibatan tried to shake off the suzerainty of the Amenokal,

but they were cruelly punished by Madidu and his nephew Djamarata.

As a rule, however, the protection promised by a chief can be depended

on, and for this reason the Awellimiden will certainly be the first

Tuaregs whom we shall be able to induce to lead a more civilized life.

True Awellimiden, or direct descendants from Lemta, are few. They

include at present three tribes, the Kel Kumeden, the Kel Ahara,

and the Kel Tedjucane. The Amenokal or principal chief is always

a member of the first-named, and inherits in the usual order of

primogeniture in these districts, that is to say, the brothers reign

in succession according to age, then the son of the eldest, and so on.

It is, however, open to the Confederation to depart from this rule,

and the Amenokal is not regularly invested with authority until

the consent of the assembled Ihaggaren has been given. But it is a

very rare thing for an exception to be made, and the right of veto,

though it has been used, is seldom exercised.

The predecessor of Madidu was Alimsar, who had succeeded his brother

El Khotab, the protector of Barth. I transcribe below the genealogy of

the descendants of El Khotab and Alimsar just as it was given to me.

EL KHOTAB

|

+-----------------+--------+--+------------+-------------+

| | | | |

MADIDU ELAUI AGOLA BADJEHUN KARIKARI

(present Chief) | (dead) (dead) |

| | | | |

+---+------+ +--+--+ | | |

| | | | | | |

Assalmi El Mekki Musa Mursa Djamarata Imuhadjil 1 son (?)

ALIMSAR

|

+--------------------++-----------+-------------+

| | | |

DURRATA AZUHUR FIHIRUN 3 other sons (?)

(dead) | |

| | |

+------+-----+ | |

| | | |

Aneirum. 2 other sons (?) 2 sons (?) 1 son

Here too is a list of the tribes making up the Awellimiden

Confederation, with the names of their present chiefs.

THE NOBLE OR IHAGGAREN TRIBES.

KEL KUMEDEN—Chief Madidu. | KEL TEKENIUEN—Chief Burhan.

|

KEL AHARA—Chief El Yasan. | KEL TAKABUT—Chief Aluania.

|

KEL TEDJIUANE—Chief Arreian. | TERADABEBEN—Chief Sidauat.

|

IDERRAGAGEN. | TENGUEREGUEDECHE—Chief Warigoru.

|

TARKAITAMUT. | TADEMEKET—Chief Yunès.

|

TAHABANAT. | IDALBABU—Chief Ihuar.

|

IBEHAUEN—Chief Sar’adu. | AHIANALLAN.

|

IFOGHAS—Chief Waruziga. |

|

IHEGAREN—Chief El Auedech. |

SERFS OR IMRADS.

KEL GOSSI—Chief Ur illies. | TAR’AHIL—Chief Ekerech.

|

IRREGANATEN—Chief Ur orda. | IKAIRIRAEN—Chief Ezemek.

|

IUERARUARAR’EN—Chief Mahamud. | ERKATEN—Chief Elanusi.

|

IMIDEDDAR’EN—Chief Huberzan. | IKAWELLATEN—Chief Ibunafan.

|

IBONGITAN—Chief Allabi. | IHAIAUEN—Chief Abba.

|

TAFAGAGAT—Chief Karrabau. | KEL R’EZAFAN—Chief Amachecha.

To these tribes making up the actual Confederation must be added

the following, who were brought into it by force, and have long

since submitted with a good grace to be under the protection of

the Awellimiden:

WADALEN—Chief Niugi. | ERATAFAN—Chief Yoba.

|

CHEIBATAN—Chief Rafiek. | IBENDASAN.

|

LOGOMATEN—Chief Bokar Wandieïdu. | AHIANANURDE—Chief Amadida.

|

| TABOTAN—Chief Muley.

Subject to each of these last-named tribes are _imrads_, but I only

know the name of one of their tribes, that of the Ekono, vassals of

the Wadalen.

In addition to their predatory excursions the Tuaregs on the right

and left bank of the Niger make two annual migrations, the time of

which is generally the same.

During the dry season, from December to May, the higher districts

are sterile and dry, the ponds and wells empty of water. Then the

Tuaregs move down to the river-banks and their flocks and herds

graze on the coarse weeds which line them. To avoid the sickness

amongst the camels which results from eating damp food, and to which

I alluded in speaking of Timbuktu, they generally leave them a little

further inland. It is at this time that the negroes pay their tribute

of maize and tobacco, and it is also during this same season that

warlike expeditions are generally undertaken.

For the rest of the year the rain pours down in torrents in the

riverside districts, and although its fall is not so constant or so

heavy in the higher lands, they too are fertilized by the filling

up of the ponds and the wells, many of which even overflow.

Then the nomad tribes go back again to their old haunts, and settle

down for the winter in their camps about the wâdies, resembling

those of Algeria, which begin near Gao.

These wâdies are such very characteristic features of Central

Africa, that a description of one of them may be useful. The word

_wâdy_ means the channel of a watercourse which is dry except in

the rainy season, but there is water in the upper portion of that

of Gao in every season. Its source is far away in the north, and

it seems to be identical with the Igharghar of the south, alluded

to by Duveyrier, the Astapus of the ancients, which comes down from

the Atakor or Ahaggar.

This would confirm Barth’s suggestion, that the marshy depressions

which debouch on the Ngiti Sokoto do not extend beyond the district

of Air.

My own opinion is that the Gao Wâdy, before it became choked up

with sand, was a tributary of the Niger when the course of that

river was far more rapid than it is now.

An examination of its banks does in fact lead to the conclusion,

that nearly if not quite all along them a line of cliffs, eroded by

the action of water, marks what was once the bed of part of the old

Niger. In their annual migration the Awellimiden go up as far as the

districts near Air, where they come in contact with their enemies the

Kel Gheres. Probably competition for the ownership of the pasturages

yielding food in the dry season, was the original cause of the feud

between the two races, which dates from centuries ago.

The tribes from the left bank of the Niger also move into the kind

of islet formed by the bend of the river, advancing to near Dori,

where they find a series of ponds and lakes known as Oursi Beli,

etc., an idea of which I have tried to give in the map accompanying

this volume, but I do not know how far I have succeeded.

There are many very curious and interesting hydrographical problems

connected with this bend of the Niger reserved for the future explorer

to solve.

Well, what do my readers think of the Tuaregs after the picture I

have endeavoured to give of them? I certainly have not represented

them as saints, living in a kind of Utopia, where all is well,

where the men have no vices and the women no faults.

You will perhaps, however, agree with me that they have very decided

characters, and many fine qualities, if also many defects. Their

intelligence is certainly great, making it well worth while to try

and win them to a better mode of life, and one more conducive to

the comfort of their neighbours.

I do not of course fail to recognize what hard work it is to row

against the current or to contend against pre-conceived ideas. It

is always difficult, and sometimes dangerous.

In 1859 a young Frenchman, not more than twenty years old at the

most, disembarked at Constantine. He spent three years travelling

about the Algerian Sahara, and under the powerful protection of the

Emir Ikhenukhen, chief of the Azguers, he lived for more than a year

amongst the Tuaregs.

After his return an expedition was sent out by the Governor of

Algeria, and the treaty of Rhadamès was signed.

Then, in accordance with the traditional French policy in matters

colonial, instead of profiting by the results already acquired,

absolutely nothing further was done. Duveyrier described the Tuaregs

as he had found them, just as I have tried to do; he spoke quite

frankly of their faults as well as of their virtues, and insisted on

the possibility of treating with them on favourable terms. He might

well do so, for he had already succeeded in that direction himself.

When twenty years later Flatters was assassinated, Duveyrier was

accused of mendacious optimism, and every one was ready to cast a

stone at him.

As a matter of fact, however, Flatters was killed by the Hoggars,

and Duveyrier had mentioned that they were living in a state of

anarchy, which seemed likely to get worse and worse rather than to

improve. Flatters insisted on going through their territory, although

the Amrar had told him he could not protect him. Now Duveyrier had

made a special point of never going into any district without first

securing an efficacious safe-conduct, yet in spite of all this he

is made responsible for the disaster.

A fitting epilogue ensued, for Duveyrier, disquieted at the

accusations brought against him, weakened by fever contracted

in his journey, and cut to the heart by the ingratitude of his

fellow-countrymen, committed suicide by shooting himself with his

revolver, in the hope perchance of finding the justice denied him here

in another world, if there be indeed such a thing as justice anywhere.

[Illustration: TUAREGS.]

The English would have made him a peer, and put up statues in his

honour; the ignorance of the French, I will not use a harsher word,

drove him to commit suicide.

The example is certainly not encouraging to us later explorers.

I should have been more likely to win applause if I had pictured the

Tuaregs as irreclaimable savages, relating a thousand entanglements

with them, such as imaginary conflicts with their armed bands,

where my own presence of mind and the courage of my party saved the

expedition from massacre.

I have preferred in the interests of my country to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Even as I write these words, I hear of the death of two young officers

and their men, who were killed near Timbuktu in a fight with a Hoggar

razzi. The Hoggars again!

This does but confirm what I insisted on when I was at Timbuktu,

that we shall never succeed in getting _en rapport_ with the nomad

tribes except with the aid of those tribes themselves.

We must first subjugate certain tribes, and then form from amongst

them auxiliary levies, or, as the natives call them, _maghzen_,

which will aid us, at a minimum cost to ourselves, to establish

French influence over the Tuaregs.

Amongst the tribes who would best lend themselves to this purpose,

I place the Awellimiden in the very first rank, and they are the

hereditary enemies of the Hoggars. Or perhaps I should rather have

said, if we wish to bring about a complete pacification of the

country, and at the same time win the friendship of the Awellimiden

chief, we ought to strengthen his hands.

With this idea in my mind I make the following suggestions. We

should arm the Awellimiden with a hundred or a couple of hundreds of

percussion rifles, with very large nipples, which would only admit

of the use of special caps turned out in French manufactories.

With one hundred such guns the Awellimiden would be invincible, and

could soon butcher all their enemies, whether Kel Gheres or Hoggars.

The absolute necessity of having French percussion caps would place

them entirely in our hands, and by doling out the ammunition needed

little by little, we should force them to submit to and serve us. We

should, moreover, have it in our power to break up their strength

directly they showed any reluctance to fall in with our wishes.

In return for a service such as this supply of fire-arms, the Amenokal

would protect our traders; he has already in fact promised to do so,

not only by word of mouth but in writing.

These traders must, however, act with prudence and circumspection. I

am quite convinced that I and my companions might fearlessly return

to the Awellimiden because they know us now. I have suggested to our

Government that we should return, but I have not been more successful

in that direction than I have in getting the rifles I asked for.

Strangers must not attempt with a light heart to penetrate into the

Tuareg districts, without having secured the formal protection of

the chief.

What would you have? When a Grand Duke announces his intention

of visiting the wine-shops of the outlying boulevards, don’t we

always take care to send an _habitué_ of those boulevards with

him to look after him? A _Jaume_ or a _Rossignol_[8] is always in

attendance. And if a protector is useful in Paris, can we not well

understand that one would be indispensable in the Sahara?

When Madidu has once said to a traveller “Yes, come,” or “You

can go,” I am convinced that no danger would be run in the districts

subject to him.

With the Awellimiden on our side we could conquer the Sahara,

and the Tuaregs would help us to push on towards Lake Tchad, Air,

Tunis and Algeria. He would find it to his own advantage to do so,

and the conditions of his existence would be manifestly ameliorated.

Do you imagine that these Tuaregs are stupid enough to miss a chance

of getting stuffs for clothes, coverlids, glass beads, and all the

things they covet? If the men were sufficiently blind to their own

interests, I’ll warrant you their wives would not be.

The Tuareg race will be tamed at last, their faults, all the result

of the fierce struggle for existence, will disappear, and modern

civilization will have conquered a new district in Africa!

One afterthought does, however, occur to me. Will the change be a

good thing for the Tuaregs themselves?

When I think of their wandering life, free from all restraint, when

I remember their courage, which to them is the highest of virtues,

when I consider how truly equal all those worthy of equality are,

I ask myself whether after all they are not happier than we Europeans?

Their life is a hard one, and their habits are frugal, but has not

custom made this life natural to them, and are they really sensible

of its privations?

Good fortune with them is the reward of the brave who know how to

win the victory, and it is in _razzis_ that the victory is gained. To

spoil the vanquished is also to wash out the stain of an hereditary

injury, for the vendetta is not confined to Italy, but often makes

friendship impossible between certain tribes in Africa. The goods

of him who perishes by the sword are the property of the wielder of

that sword, and the death of the vanquished avenges some pillaged

or massacred ancestor, as well as enriches the conqueror.

A rough rendering is given below of the _Song of R’Otman_, quoted

by Duveyrier, who justly calls it the Tuareg _Marseillaise_, which

is chanted in defiance of the Chambas by the Azgueurs, who are their

hereditary enemies.

Death to thy mother! Ma’atalla the devil is in thee!

Call’st thou the Tuaregs traitors, the men of the plain?

Ha! but they know how to travel, to fight in the battle,

Sally at morn and return in the evening again!

Aye, and they know how to fall on the enemy sleeping—

Sleeping at ease in the tent with his flocks at his side,

Lapped in his fine woollen garments, his curtains and carpets

Spreading full length in the shade of the canopy wide.

What though with milk newly-drawn from the udders of camels,

What though with meat and with butter his paunch he has filled,

Straight as a nail to the ground pins the lance of the victor,

Out with a shriek and a yell flies the soul of the killed!

Sunk in despair lies the heart-broken wife of the victim,

Scattered and vanished their goods like as water o’erspilled!

Wild manners truly do these lines describe, but they also express

proud and heroic sentiments. What will the Tuaregs gain by their

transformation into civilized people?

In a few centuries, where the tents of the Amezzar are pitched there

will be permanent towns. The descendants of the Ihaggaren of the

present day will be citizens. There will be nothing about them to

remind their contemporaries of the wild knights of the desert.

No more will they go to war; no more will they lead _razzis_ to

ravage the camps of their neighbours, for they will have given

up pillage altogether; but perhaps in a bank, which will take the

place of the tent of their Amenokal, they will try to float rotten

companies, and mines which exist nowhere but in the imagination of

their chiefs. What will they be then? Not pillagers but thieves!

Truth to tell, I think I prefer my marauders, who fall on their prey

like the lion Ahar!

[Illustration: AN AFRICAN CAMEL.]

[Illustration: AN ISOLATED TREE AT FAFA.]